Mark Margolis, Emmy-nominated Breaking Bad actor, dies at 83
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Mark Margolis, best known for his captivating performance as Hector "Tio" Salamanca on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, has died at 83 following a short illness, his representatives confirmed to EW.
Margolis died Thursday in New York City's Mt. Sinai Hospital with his wife Jacqueline and son Morgan at his side. Morgan, CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment, first announced the news.
"He was one of a kind," his manager Robert Kolker of Red Letter Entertainment said. "He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him."
Jim Spellman/WireImage Mark Margolis
Margolis was born in Philadelphia in 1939 but moved to New York City to pursue acting as a protégé of Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. He later studied under Lee Strasberg and Barbara Loden.
His early career included parts in theatrical productions such as Infidel Caesar, a Broadway show based on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Not long after that production, Margolis founded a touring avant-garde theater company called Blue Dome, whose productions included Antonin Artaud's The Conquest of Mexico.
Margolis carved out a career on screen with memorable turns as a character actor in roles like "Shadow" in Scarface and mob boss Antonio Nappa in Oz as well as turns in Ace Venture: Pet Detective and American Horror Story: Asylum.
He was also a regular in the movies of Darren Aronofsky, appearing in six of his works, including a starring role as Sol Robeson in the director's debut feature film, Pi. His parts varied from a stone giant in Noah to the man who keeps selling Mrs. Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) her own TV in Requiem for a Dream. "It's because he owes me," Margolis once joked when speaking about why he had appeared in so many Aronofsky films. "He lost a bet."
Ursula Coyote/AMC/Courtesy Everett Collection Mark Margolis in Breaking Bad
However, Margolis became best known for playing Hector Salamanca on Breaking Bad, a character who was unable to speak and used a wheelchair. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2012 for the performance and reprised the role years later, playing a younger version of Hector on Better Call Saul.
After the news of his death, friends and colleagues — including his former costar Bob Odenkirk — shared tributes to the actor.
A powerful screen presence! Mark made me laugh in the van on the way to set with his jokes and comments and I only hope I have half his energy and focus when “Action” was shouted. Thank you, Mark, and condolences to your family. https://t.co/3jwmjXW75M
— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) August 4, 2023
We join millions of fans in mourning the passing of the immensely talented Mark Margolis, who - with his eyes, a bell, and very few words - turned Hector Salamanca into one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of television. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/gVt8IzxgPw
— Breaking Bad (@BreakingBad) August 4, 2023
So sad to hear Mark Margolis has died. A phenomenal actor. A funny guy. RIP. My thoughts are with his family
— Dean Norris (@deanjnorris) August 4, 2023
Absolutely devastated to hear that we’ve lost Mark Margolis. Mark was brilliant, funny, a raconteur with a million stories. I miss him already.
— Peter Gould (@petergould) August 4, 2023
Margolis is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law Heide Margolis, and three grandchildren: Ben, Aidan, and Henry Margolis.
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